Beer Cheese Soup | How to Make it

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Beer cheese soup is one of the most all-American iconic comfort foods you can eat. It’s down-home-put-on-your-fuzzy-socks-light-the-fire-turn-on-the-game-and-stuff-your-face deliciousness. Then prepare to bliss out.

Ultra cheesy, creamy, bacon food for your soul.

Nope, there is nothing healthy about this soup. I can’t even tout it as Keto (high fat/low carb), because it’s high fat/high carb. But it is worth making at least once a year, or in our house about once every 5 years.

My husband wishes I made it every year!

This soup is worth every indulgent bite. I’ve pulled out the stops with 2 kinds of cheese, a generous dollop of real heavy cream, tons of smoky bacon, roasted red bell peppers, and topped with fresh bright green onions. Heaven!

Have you ever been to your favorite Mexican restaurant and you just can’t stop eating the chips and queso? This soup is like that… but better!

Hello Wisconsin!

Wisconsin holds the claim of being the first place to have made beer cheese soup. I don’t know how true that is, but it is the cornerstone of cheese in our country and they give each and every one of us the green light to gleefully indulge in our near fanatical devotion to the curd.

If you’ve ever wished it was socially acceptable to unabashedly drink melted cheese just by itself, this recipe is for you.

How to choose your cheese

This recipe calls for 20 ounces of cheddar cheese. One of the techniques we learned in culinary school was to give dishes an extra flavor boost is to use a variety of a single ingredient. In this case instead of using 20 ounces of sharp cheddar cheese, use 10 ounces of sharp cheddar and 10 ounces of a mild cheddar. If you like a bit of spice, try 10 ounces of sharp cheddar, 2 ounces of mild cheddar, and 8 ounces of pepper jack cheese.

• Sharp cheddar cheese: This cheese is characterized by its salty boldness. It has a sharp tangy flavor that holds it own in the creamy soup base.
• Medium cheddar cheese: Since it hasn’t aged as long as its older sibling (sharp cheddar), it has a milder flavor but is also excellent for slicing and melting.
• Mild cheddar cheese: This cheese has the milkiest and lightest of flavors of all three. It has a smooth texture and helps blend the flavors together.
• Monterey Pepper Jack cheese: This cheese has both the spicy kick you’re looking for and exceptional melting properties.

Elements of the Best Beer Cheese Soup Ever!

We are cheese connoisseurs from way back and I have to say this is the best beer cheese soup recipe I’ve come across. Here are the ingredients and why I chose them:

• Bacon – Seriously, bacon makes everything better.

• Onion, garlic, roasted red pepper, thyme, and fire-roasted tomatoes – Add layers and complexity of flavor.
• Butter and flour – Thickens the soup!
• Chicken Stock – Loosens up the soup so it’s not too rich. Try making your own homemade chicken stock from your next leftover rotisserie chicken bones or use your favorite store-bought variety.
• Beer – Like when cooking with wine, use the kind you enjoy drinking. I prefer a dark amber beer like Fat Tire. I like the extra nuttiness and roasted flavor it brings to the party. If you like a cleaner kind of beer with a lighter finish, choose a pilsner or other pale ale.
• Cheese! – Use the flavor guide above to choose your mix.
• Green onion and parsley – Adds a hint of freshness to balance out and cut through the excessive amount of cheese you are about to consume.

How to make beer cheese soup

This recipe dishes up about 12-16 servings in about 50 minutes. You can cut out about 20 minutes if you already have your bacon made and ready to go.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb bacon
• 1 large onion chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 sprigs thyme or 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1 cup roasted red pepper minced
• 1 can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup flour
• 4 ounces butter unsalted
• 2 bottles beer medium or dark
• 4 cups chicken broth or stock
• 1 pint heavy cream
• 10 ounces sharp cheddar cheese grated
• 10 ounces medium cheddar cheese grated
• 1 bunch green onion chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoons black pepper fresh ground
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley chopped, optional

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Bake the bacon on a cooling rack over a baking sheet in a 350F oven until crisp, about 20 minutes.
2. Set the crispy bacon aside and drain off the bacon fat, reserving 3 tablespoons of bacon fat.
3. Heat the 3 tablespoons of bacon fat in a large soup pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and thyme and cook until the onion is soft and translucent.
4. Lower the heat to medium and add the butter and garlic. Stirring occasionally, let the butter melt.
5. Add the flour over the butter. Stir the flour into the butter and let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes to cook off the pasty flour flavor.
6. Add the chicken stock and whisk until the mixture to thicken. This takes about 5 minutes.
7. Stir in the beer, cream, roasted red bell pepper, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Allow the soup to come back up to a simmer, about 5 minutes.
8. When the soup begins to simmer, slowly stir in 1/2 cup of shredded cheese at a time. Stir until cheese is completely incorporated. Only add the next 1/2 cup of cheese after the previous cup has completely melted.
9. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning as needed.
10. Optional: Puree with a hand immersion blender until thick and creamy.
11. Ladle into bowls and top with cooked bacon, chopped green onion, and/or parsley.

Beer Cheese Soup Troubleshooting Tips

Why did my beer cheese soup curdle?

This happens when the proteins separate and bind together. Your soup is no longer smooth and creamy; it’s grainy and unpleasant. If your soup has reached this state, take your soup off the heat and stir in 1 cup of shredded Velveeta cheese. The chemicals in this processed cheese help detangle the proteins that are causing the gritty texture.

How do I keep my cheese soup from curdling in the first place?

This is a much easier riddle to solve than the previous one. Follow these steps for cheese soup or cheese sauce.

• Low heat – Once you start adding any dairy products keep the heat on medium-low or low. Too much heat curdles soups and sauces with milk products.
• Add the cheese slowly.
• Shred your own cheese – As tempting as it may be to conveniently grab the bag of shredded cheese at the store. Choose a block and grate your own at home. Shredded cheese contains potato starch to keep it from sticking together in the bag. Unfortunately, it can also make your soup gritty.
• If you catch your soup just starting to curdle, immediately remove it from the heat, add 1/2 cup cold milk, and vigorously whisk for 30 seconds.

How do you fix BITTER beer cheese soup?

Two things may be at play here.

1) You tasted the soup shortly after adding the beer before the bitterness of the alcohol had a chance to cook off. If this is the case, let the soup cook for 5 more minutes then taste again.

2) The beer you used is too hoppy, like an IPA. If this is your situation, try adding a cup more chicken stock, 1/2 cup heavy cream, and a splash of Worcheschire sauce.